


Don't look at me like that.

by CannedTins



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Gen, Guns, M/M, Tumblr Prompt, Violence, grim and gritty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 10:41:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18991030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CannedTins/pseuds/CannedTins
Summary: Prompt on Tumblr.It had been three months since the explosion. No matter how much people searched, they never found Jim Starling’s body. As far as everybody knew, the former actor was dead, having died in a blaze, but one of madness rather than glory. Oddly fitting for somebody like him.Launchpad wondered if he was still alive.





	Don't look at me like that.

It had been three months since the explosion. No matter how much people searched, they never found Jim Starling’s body. As far as everybody knew, the former actor was dead, having died in a blaze, but one of madness rather than glory. Oddly fitting for somebody like him.

 

Launchpad had settled in with Drake Mallard once they moved out of Duckburg and into Drake’s hometown of St. Canard. Launchpad was introduced to his house, neighbors, and his adopted daughter Gosalyn. He instantly loved the fireball of a girl. Even the neighbors noted how Launchpad and Drake fit in so perfectly, like they were made for each other.  

 

Although the suburban “30 seconds from the city” life was settling well for Launchpad, things still swum in his mind. He was homesick already, sure, but there were  _ other _ things in his head. Things he couldn’t just ease by texting Dewey for some updates back at McDuck Manor. Things like  _ Jim Starling _ .

 

Everybody said he was dead. Launchpad believed it himself. He could see it in Drake, too, with how he purposely tried to avoid any news regarding the actor, like his death was too fresh in his mind. His sacrifice. So, if Jim Starling was dead, why did Launchpad keep thinking about him? It was as if something else were going on. 

 

Gosalyn had asked about him before. She loved Darkwing Duck, but knew only  _ Drake _ ’s version. She watched some episodes of the old Darkwing, and even a glimpse of the newspaper before Drake yanked it away. She wanted to know who Jim Starling was. The original Darkwing Duck.

Drake said he was the actor for Darkwing Duck. He’d made sure to leave out any other details. The stuff about jealousy, attempted murder, his descent into insanity, sacrificing himself before dying. Even through Gosalyn loved zombie movies and roughhousing, Drake feared that explaining the entire situation would still be too traumatizing for her.

 

Gosalyn hoped to meet Jim Starling before learning that he’d died. Launchpad hoped that Jim Starling wasn’t dead.

 

Night fell. It really had been over three months since Jim Starling died. Or not. Launchpad stayed awake, Drake was fast asleep. 

 

“What if he’s not dead?” Launchpad suddenly said.

 

That woke Drake up, the smaller duck looking up blearily at his partner, his hair all tousled in a way that would make Gosalyn laugh. Drake didn’t have to ask who Launchpad meant, through. He knew.

But he would ask  _ why _ .

 

“What if he never died in the explosion? What if he’s out there? There’s this feeling in me that he could still be alive!”   
  


“They never found his body.”

“And they just declared him dead instead of file a missing person report?”

 

“You usually die from explosions that massive, LP.”

 

Launchpad shook his head, “I don’t know. It’s just this feeling. I can’t stop it. I can’t stop thinking about him.”

 

Drake looked at him for the longest time, and sighed, “You know, me too. He is why I became Darkwing, after all. Even if he did go crazy, I still had hope left in me somewhere. Maybe I still do.”

 

“You think he’s still out there?”

 

“They didn’t even give him a funeral.”

 

Neither of them continued to speak after that. And neither of them could sleep.

 

________________

 

It had been three months since the explosion. Jim Starling was dead.

 

Negaduck had found his way to St. Canard via the sewers---he’d gotten tired of the smell and darkness in there. He needed a place to live and it wasn’t going to be in the sewers anymore.

 

Before everything collapsed around him, Jim Starling had a fairly nice home, fit for an aging star at the coastline. No one really visited him anymore aside from the Darkwing Duck fan club. Negaduck couldn’t have that sort of house now. He was a vagabond and a cruel reminder of what once was. 

 

Even though he tried to settle in the alleys, it felt  _ wrong _ to him to stay there. Like the lingering memory of his life as a star wouldn’t allow him to rot beside rats and garbage cans. He yearned for something, too. Not just his old life that he had discarded, his fame stolen from him, but also his fans. There was one fan. He had been there for Jim Starling when Drake Mallard stole his role.

 

Negaduck was alone, for now.

 

Or so he thought.

 

Launchpad had gone out to get groceries, equipped with a lengthy list that Drake had given him. It was the usual eggs, vegetables, cookies---he always forgot the milk.

 

Negaduck spotted him immediately. It would be a good scene to make, holding the cashier hostage, maybe shedding blood. Get the fan separated from everybody else. He liked the idea. He’d been bored of hiding in alleys and not getting any attention. He thought about what gun to use, where to attack from, how to get the fan’s attention. All the marks of a good plan. He wished he had a chainsaw to spice things up, though.

 

Launchpad didn’t know what was to come.

 

Negaduck fired a warning shot into the air, just outside the store. That got their attention, step one. Step two was to cause panic.

 

He stormed into the store, breaking open the glass doors and yelled at everybody inside to surrender, his gun locked and loaded. Adrenaline started to course through his veins, he  _ loved _ action. He watched closely at his fan, who’d dropped all of his bags and bravely stood up to Negaduck. 

 

_ Couldn’t you just wait for dear old Dipwing to save you instead? _

 

He shot at one customer, the others trying to flee amidst the chaos. It was a blur of smashed glass, groceries, blood, and frenzied citizens. It was something Negaduck missed from his show days. Except he could do it for real this time.

 

Launchpad stared at the attacker. He was dressed garishly, but something about his outfit, and the way he held himself with the gun and posture...it was too familiar. Negaduck could tell he was looking straight at him too. Like he knew.

 

The cashier grabbed his own gun and aimed for Negaduck, who dodged some of the bullets as he ran straight ahead. He kicked the cashier down and pinned him against the desk, wrestling the gun away from him. He now had one gun in the holster and one pressed against the cashier’s head.

 

Launchpad wanted to intervene. He wanted to tackle the attacker so badly, but he just  _ couldn’t _ . He hoped Darkwing would find his way here somehow. He could hear the police coming, but it wasn’t  _ enough _ . The attacker’s familiarity shook him to the core. He knew he had seen that face somewhere before. He couldn’t tell where.

 

“Don’t look at me like that!’ Negaduck yelled, pressing the muzzle of his gun hard against the cashier’s temple. 

 

That did it. At once Launchpad forgot about everything he was supposed to do, forgot about the danger he was putting himself into. He pushed away everything, all the customers and debris, and tore Negaduck away from the cashier. The two tumbled around in a ball of punches and kicks, Negaduck screaming and clawing at the larger duck and scrambling around for his gun. He almost forgot that the beast attacking him was his fan.

 

“I’m sorry!”

 

“What are you sorry  _ for?!”  _ Negaduck hissed, “The fun just started!”

 

Launchpad pinned him against the floor, his strong hands restraining Negaduck’s arms down, legs pressed against his chest. Negaduck struggled to breathe as his eyes met Launchpad’s. His vision blurred, he was in pain, bruised in several places. And Launchpad was no better.

“Why are you doing this?” Launchpad pleaded.

 

“I like to get dangerous.”

 

Only one other person could have said something like that. It all came back to Launchpad. The clothes, his blazing eyes, his utter disregard for others’ lives as he wreaked havoc to grab attention for himself.

 

“Jim?”

 

Negaduck sneered, “bingo.”

 

Launchpad shook. Part of him wanted to demand answers, why he was like this, how is he alive, why is he doing this? Another part of him, a primal part of him that completely ignored his general friendliness, wanted to strangle him. It was uncharacteristic of Launchpad, but at this moment he didn’t think of anything else.

 

He wanted to say sorry. He wanted to be relieved that he was alive or even give him a hug. But he couldn’t. Not when he’d just barged into a grocery store and tried to kill multiple innocent citizens already. 

 

He’d hoped Jim Starling was still alive somewhere, but not like this.

 

“Why?” was all Launchpad could muster.

 

“I wanted to see you again.”

 

Police had arrived, but another force was here, appearing with a billow of smoke. Launchpad recognized it immediately. As did Negaduck.

 

Darkwing had his gas gun ready, scouring around the store. He stopped when he saw Launchpad, who had already pinned down the attacker. Launchpad looked disoriented, like he’d just had the revelation of a lifetime. Darkwing walked closer, still holding his gas gun. One whiff of sleeping gas would hopefully knock out the attacker.

 

“How did this happen?” Darkwing asked.

 

“Dorkwing. What a surprise!” The attacker craned his neck back to look at Darkwing, still struggling to breathe, covered in bruises and welts at this point.

 

Darkwing would ask how he knew his name, but he instead instinctively shot the gas canister out. No time to play games. Launchpad closed his beak shut so not to breathe in the gas. Darkwing had Launchpad get off the attacker’s chest, picking him up and taking him outside for the police to see.

 

They would arrest him and Darkwing would get an ego boost. But Launchpad knew the truth behind the attacker. Negaduck was Jim Starling. Or was it the other way around? He wanted to tell Darkwing the truth, but he couldn’t bring himself to, not today.

 

But maybe someday.

  
  



End file.
